Qantas pilots issue mayday call to get emergency landing due to low fuel

A Qantas crew was forced to declare an emergency to get priority landing at Perth airport when fuel stocks started running low. The Australian Safety Transport Bureau is investigating the incident involving the QF933 flight from Brisbane. The bureau reports a Boeing 737 was on its way from Brisbane when the crew declared an emergency on descent over Wave Rock, Western Australia, on 18 July. “A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation,” the bureau said. “However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate safety action can be taken.” Before departure, air traffic control advised the pilots to carry an extra 10 minutes’ worth of fuel due to expected delays in Perth, but the wait then blew out to 16 minutes. After 10 minutes of holding, pilots requested a priority landing and were told they needed to call a “mayday” for that to happen. The plane landed with 10 minutes of fuel stocks as well as 30 minutes’ worth of reserve fuel. Qantas’ chief pilot, Dick Tobiano, said there was “no safety issue”.<br/>